My sincere condolences to all the family. I remember the Swanson family when they lived on Wellington. Charlotte was always so nice to me & we got along quite well. She's one person I'll never forget. Rest in peace as God has called for you to spend eternity with Him.  Karen (Posch) Lambert

My name is Doug Taylor publisher of The Great Northern News. We loved Charlotte and she did some great work for us.  She also wrote stories on my plane and on The Bailey House.  She was one of a kinda, gave ideas, inspired me and became a dear friend.  It breaks my heart to hear of her passing.   I hope she knew how much we really appreciated her.  Deepest Sympathy.  218 8392514

Great gal!   She came to my home way up in Central Minnesota when she became the editor of the Minnesota Flyer Magazine. She admitted she knew next to nothing about aviation and asked for help. I was tough on her and gave her a laundry list of things she should read and people she should talk to. For weeks after, she would call each week to tell me how she had checked off items on the list.  In later conversations, I could tell that she enjoyed working with members of the aviation community, and from reading her editorials in the Flyer, could see that she was a quick learner. In the attached photo, she is doing her thing, pen and pad in hand, interviewing Bob Jasperson, a 2018 Aviation Hall of Fame inductee. So sorry to see her leave us so soon,  she had become a dear friend. Tally Ho, Charlotte!


My heart is heavy, I just read this ... We  go back 40+ I. I watched you children grow into adults, kind loving faithful-Much like mom! Many family cherished memories some deeply difficult too!  God bless YOU all... Memory External - my kind loving friend. MUCH LOVE+  MANY HUGS! "The babysitter" XO 

Char was an adventurer.  I admired her for that. No project seemed to daunt her, whether it was starting a language school in Japan, starting  AMK Productions, or hopping into a jet in order to write a first-hand feature for the Hermantown Star.  Char was her own person, she had her own style of dress, and her personality made her "own" the rooms she entered.

  I remember Char at the Star parties...in 1988 I won in the gift draw her handmade gift, a tooled leather wall hanging that says "Peace to all who enter here." I treasure it.  It has hung in our home or apartment since that time.  

I know that Char will find peace as she enters heaven, and I hope that you, her dear family, will find peace as you let her go.  I know her loss will be difficult.  You have my deepest sympathy.

Jeanne Pearson

I had the pleasure to cross paths with Charlotte as we were laying down the groundwork for the MN Pilots Assn and our Great MN Aviation Gatherings.  It was remarkable to me that a person who had no previous experience with aviation could come in and get her finger on the pulse of aviation as quickly and effectively as she did.  She became a very dependable source of information and counsel to me as we navigated the politics involved in MN aviation.  Her dedication to the MN Flyer magazine was remarkable and commendable.  Pilots in MN have lost a tremendous supporter of aviation, and I feel I have lost a dear friend whose kindness knew no bounds.  I will miss our monthly communications as she asked for my next installment of the Hangar Flying column that she and Tim Franklin were kind enough to offer to me as a leader of the MN Pilots Assn, particularly the sign off ending that often went like “May your evening be delightfully refreshing”.  She helped guide me through difficult situations, and was always there to let me bounce ideas off of her.  I will miss her as a friend.  Our condolences go out to Charlotte’s family and friends as we face life without a unique, kind, refreshing person that Charlotte was.

Our heartfelt condolences to Charlotte's children, siblings, and friends.  Our family has such fond memories of our times of Charlotte with her parents and siblings in Duluth.  Our times visiting your family were always cherished.  We especially remember Charlotte's many acts of kindness to us and her loving care for her uncle Dennis.  Whenever we met she always had a genuine smile and kind words of greeting.  She has proudly carried on her mother's tradition of caring for others within her circle.  She made the world around her better.  Our thoughts are with you all.  Kay and Bob Kavanagh, Tammy Burcar, and Peggy and Ken Butler.

We were very sorry to hear of your loss, we saw some of the family at Tom's service last summer and it was a pleasure catching up and sharing family stories.  The obituary was beautiful, what a talented woman.  Cherish the memories and take comfort in God's grace.  Donald Johnson and Jane Wasvick

Charlotte was the nicest lady I ever met. Everytime I saw her she had a big smile and a blessing for my day. The last time I saw her was right before Christmas. She gave me a hug and I will never forget her smile as she walked out of the building. I am thankful that I got the pleasure of knowing her at the Credit Union.  I will miss you Charlotte and I look forward to seeing you again. 


Words are supposed to be easy to share when you are in the "word" business but this one is hard to write. Charlotte has worked for me for over five years now, both as a writer for area newspapers and as editor of the Minnesota Flyer magazine. She was a blessing to work with for both. A former co-worker said it best. Charlotte always had a pleasant word for everyone, and complimented each and every one of us. She was truly Will Rogers. Even if you were having a bad day, her presence would help brighten your day. She was very well respected for her work in the aviation community. They all loved her. She was also a gifted writer, and one of her stories on Medical Assistance liens, led to a change in state law. She was also a woman of great faith, who would tell you she was praying for you. Charlotte proved that one person could change their community, state, and beyond. She was a blessing to her family, her work family, and everyone she touched. Charlotte was just a one of a kind human that left this world a better place.

I will never forget the first time I saw C. M. Swanson. She was walking down Elm Street in Moose Lake, a Minnesota Flyer hat on her head, wrapped in a journalistic trench coat, and wearing a floral skirt. I thought, "Wow, I want to be that woman someday." We knew each other only by phone and email, and our face-to-face meeting that day was all I could hope it to be. She was welcoming to me, full of energy, a delight, and I don't think I stopped smiling while with her. 

Charlotte was undoubtedly a good woman — rich in blessing and fully aware of the One from whom it all came. My deepest sympathy to her family with an eye on a glorious reunion with her someday.

Dear Family & Friends of Charlotte - I am so sorry for your loss. I had not seen Charlotte for quite a few years, but she was such a special lady. Her ability to communicate was outstanding and I am thankful for the skills I gleaned from her. She is without pain & sorrow now in the beauty of heaven. 

Dear family,
I dont't have words to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of this wonderful woman. My heart hurts for you all.
As you know, Charlotte shared love and light everywhere she went, always walking in faith. She was loved and respected by many and will be greatly missed. She was a good friend and I am blessed to have had her in my life.
One of the things that always made me smile was when she would greet someone on the phone with "you dear, darling, awesome, amazing, wonderful, incredible, etc, etc, etc. person you! Even when it wasnt me she was talking to, it always made me smile.
I know she is proud of all of you for the grace in which you walked through those last days with her. You are a strong family and she loved you all dearly.
My thoughts are with you.






Iam so sorry for your loss, please accept my condolences! Charlotte was an amazing woman! She loved Jesus and when she prayed I think all heaven stood still and listened. My several yrs of knowing her were blessed by the countless stories of family and friends and what God was busy doing! She loved her work and was blessed everyday to bring a good story to others.. she will be missed here but ohh the story telling going on in Heaven right now must be grand.. praying for the peace that passes understanding for you all. 

Charlotte worked at getting stories for the Minnesota Flyer and was at so many aviation events in MN. She drove out to our farm and did interviews and photos for an article.  She was so encouraging to have us send photos or stories. Her enthusiasm will be missed by so many..
Sunny CAVU skys to Charlotte.

Charlotte will be missed.  We've all seen here at nearly every aviation event  for years.  A great storyteller an darned good photographer.  The work she's done to share and inspire will long be remembered.  She has pictures of so many of us, but I could find only one of her.  It's from February 2018 at Moose Lake, doing what she did -- in the thick of things gathering stories to share with other.

OBITUARY

Charlotte May Swanson

October 31, 1949 – January 30, 2019

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